Thursday, October 18, 2018

Since Congress
added autism as a disability category to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the number of students receiving special
education services in this category has increased over 900 percent
nationally. The number of students receiving assistance under the special
education category of autism over the past decade has increased from 1.5
percent to 9 percent of all identified disabilities. Autism now ranks fourth among
all IDEA disability categories for students age 6-21. It’s critically
important that school professionals understand the parameters of providing
evidence-based assessment and identification practices for children and
adolescents who may have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) are the two major
systems used to diagnose and classify children with ASD. The DSM-5 is
considered the primary authority in the fields of psychiatric and psychological
(clinical) diagnoses, while IDEA is the authority with regard to eligibility
decisions for special education. The DSM was developed by clinicians as a
diagnostic and classification system for both childhood and adult psychiatric
disorders. The IDEA is not a diagnostic system per se, but rather federal
legislation designed to ensure the appropriate education of children with
special educational needs in our public schools. Unlike the DSM-5, IDEA
specifies categories of ‘‘disabilities’’ to determine eligibility for special
educational services. The definitions of these categories (there are 13),
including autism, are the most widely used classification system in our
schools. According to IDEA regulations, the definition of autism is as follows:

(c)(1)(i) Autism means
a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal
communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3, that
adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics
often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and
stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily
routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. The term does not apply
if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because
the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in this section.

(ii) A child who
manifests the characteristics of ‘‘autism’’ after age 3 could be diagnosed as
having ‘‘autism’’ if the criteria in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section are
satisfied.

This educational
definition is considered sufficiently broad and operationally acceptable to
accommodate both the clinical and educational descriptions of autism and
related disorders. While the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria are professionally
helpful, they are neither legally required nor sufficient for determining
educational placement. A medical diagnosis from a doctor or mental health
professional alone is not enough to qualify a child for special education
services. It is state and federal education codes and regulations (not DSM-5)
that drive classification and eligibility decisions. In fact, the National
Research Council (2001) recommends that all children identified with ASD,
regardless of severity, be made eligible for special educational services under
the IDEA category of autism. Thus, school professionals must ensure that
children meet the criteria for autism as outlined by IDEA or state education
agency (SEA) and may use the DSM-5 to the extent that the diagnostic criteria
include the same core behaviors. All professionals, whether clinical or school,
should have the appropriate training and background related to the diagnosis
and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. The identification of autism
should be made by a professional team using multiple sources of information,
including, but not limited to an interdisciplinary assessment of social
behavior, language and communication, adaptive behavior, motor skills, sensory
issues, and cognitive functioning to help with intervention planning and
determining eligibility for special educational services.

Guidelines

Legal and special
education experts recommend the following guidelines to help school districts
meet the requirements for providing legally and educationally appropriate
programs and services to students who meet special education eligibility for
autism.

1. School districts
should ensure that the IEP process follows the procedural requirements of IDEA.
This includes actively involving parents in the IEP process and adhering to the
time frame requirements for assessment and developing and implementing the
student’s IEP. Moreover, parents must be notified of their due process rights.
It’s important to recognize that parent-professional communication and
collaboration are key components for making educational and program decisions.

2. School districts
should make certain that comprehensive, individualized evaluations are
completed by school professionals who have knowledge, experience, and expertise
in ASD. If qualified personnel are not available, school districts should
provide the appropriate training or retain the services of a consultant.

3. School districts
should develop IEPs based on the child’s unique pattern of strengths and
weaknesses. Goals for a child with ASD commonly include the areas of
communication, social behavior, adaptive skills, challenging behavior, and
academic and functional skills. The IEP must address appropriate instructional
and curricular modifications, together with related services such as
counseling, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physical therapy and
transportation needs. Evidence-based instructional strategies should also be
adopted to ensure that the IEP is implemented appropriately.

4. School districts
should assure that progress monitoring of students with ASD is completed at
specified intervals by an interdisciplinary team of professionals who have a
knowledge base and experience in autism. This includes collecting
evidence-based data to document progress towards achieving IEP goals and to
assess program effectiveness.

5. School districts
should make every effort to place students in integrated settings to maximize
interaction with non-disabled peers. Inclusion with typically developing
students is important for a child with ASD as peers provide the best models for
language and social skills. However, inclusive education alone is insufficient,
evidence-based intervention and training is also necessary to address specific
skill deficits. Although the least restrictive environment (LRE) provision of
IDEA requires that efforts be made to educate students with special needs in
less restrictive settings, IDEA also recognizes that some students may require
a more comprehensive program to provide FAPE.

6. School districts
should provide on-going training and education in ASD for both parents and
professionals. Professionals who are trained in specific methodology and
techniques will be most effective in providing the appropriate services and in
modifying curriculum based upon the unique needs of the individual child.

American
Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, &
National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for
educational and psychologicaltesting. Washington, DC:
American Educational Research Association.

National Association of School
Psychologists. (2016). School
Psychologists’ Involvement in Assessment. Bethesda, MD: Author.

National Research
Council (2001). Educating children with autism. Committee on Educational
Interventions for Children with Autism. C. Lord & J. P. McGee (Eds).
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.Ozonoff, S., Goodlin-Jones, B.
L., & Solomon, M. (2005). Evidence-based assessment of autism spectrum
disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of
Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology,34, 523–540.

Twachtman-Cullen, D.,
& Twachtman-Bassett, J. (2011). The IEP from A to Z: How to create
meaningful and measurable goals and objectives. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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